Estate Planning

June 11, 2014

Probate Law: Can a minor child be disinherited in Florida?

There are many situations where a parent may wish to disinherit a child, such as when the parent has been estranged from the child for years. Clients often wonder if they are obligated to leave assets to their children or if they are allowed to disinherit them completely.

Florida’s constitution protects the rights of minor children through homestead laws, which prohibit the head of the household from leaving his or her residence to anyone other than a spouse or minor child. Under this law, a surviving spouse is given use of the property for the remainder of his or her life, this is known legally as a life estate, and then the home passes to the minor children. Recently a surviving spouse has been given the option of taking 50% of the interest in the home or the life estate. The homestead law only applies to children who were minors at the time of the death.

If a person dies without a will, any property that person owned during his or her life will pass under Florida’s intestate succession law. Intestate succession is a law that regulates the decedent’s estate for the remaining heirs. The part of the intestate estate that does not pass to the surviving spouse, or the entire estate if there is no surviving spouse, is given to the children of the decedent. This means that without a will, a person’s children will receive part of their estate without the decedent’s consent.

October 24, 2013

Improper gift to a lawyer in a will or other estate instrument void

by David M. Goldman

New Florida Statutes §732.806, which is effective October 1, 2013, makes an improper gift to a lawyer in a will or other estate instrument void.

The new statutory provision is here: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0732/Sections/0732.806.html

The new Florida statute in effect tracks 4-1.8(c), Rules Regulating The Florida Bar and incorporates it into the probate code, and makes a violation of the statute a basis for voiding any part of a will, trust or other written instrument which makes an improper client gift to the drafting lawyer or a person related to the lawyer. The statute also provides exceptions to this prohibition, including gifts where the lawyer or other person is related to the person making the gift as well as title to property acquired for value from a person who receives the property which violated the statute.

October 19, 2013

How to Create a Living Will in Florida

by David M. Goldman

Life is full of instances where taking a decision seems to be extremely challenging. The task is even more difficult if the decision concerns the medical treatment for a loved one that is incapable of deciding for him or her self. Deciding health care matters for patients that cannot do so is emotionally wrenching for families and represents an ethical dilemma for physicians. This difficult scenario is better illustrated with the Terri Schiavo case.

Terry Schiavo Sad Case.

Ms. Schiavo was sustained by artificial hydration and nutrition through a feeding tube for 15 years after suffering a cardiac arrest, triggered by extreme hypokalemia caused by an eating disorder. Ms. Schiavo’s husband, Michael Schiavo, faced a public legal struggle with his wife’s parents and siblings about whether Ms. Schiavo’s life-sustaining medical treatment should be continued or stopped. Mr. Schiavo and the two neurologists that he selected to testify in court stood for the position that Ms. Schiavo’s condition met the criteria for a persistent vegetative state and believed that her treatment should be stopped. Ms. Schiavo’s parents, siblings and the neurologists testifying in court for Ms. Schiavo’s estate stood for the position that Ms. Schiavo’s condition could improve in the future and believed that treatment should be continued.

October 15, 2013

How to Create a Durable Power of Attorney in Florida

by David M. Goldman

In Florida, a Durable Power of Attorney (DPA) is a document that allows you to designate someone to act on your behalf if you ever become incapacitated. The person creating the DPA is known as the “principal” and the person receiving authority to act on your behalf is known as the “agent” or “attorney-in-fact.” Depending on the DPA, your agent will have authority to handle your financial transactions or to oversee your medical care.

Steps to Create a DPA

DPA for your finances: With this type of durable power of attorney, you can give a trusted person as much authority over your finances as you like. Your agent can handle simple tasks like sorting through your mail, or more complicated ones like watching over your investments. To create a Financial DPA follow the following steps:

May 26, 2013

Man without will dies and State may get 40 Million

by David M. Goldman

Forbes has reported that nearly 2.5 million Americans die each year without a will. While many states have default rules that define who will receive your assets, sometimes they do not cover your specific circumstances. Richard Blum, a Holocaust survivor and New York real estate developer appears to be one such example.

If you die without a will or living trust (“intestate”), state law will determine how your assets which are subject to probate are distributed, and the result may not be what you would want.

In Florida this generally means your probate assets will go to your spouse, then your children, then to parents, then to siblings and so on. While this may be fine for the traditional family, we see more families with children from outside the current marriage or relationships where they may not be a relationship that is legally recognized by the state.

May 14, 2013

The Advantages of Living Trusts: 6 Ways a Living Trust can Benefit Your Estate Plan

by David M. Goldman

Thumbnail image for Last Will and Testament 1.jpg Probate can have the reputation of being a nightmare, and many hate the idea of going through this process. If the idea of transferring your assets through probate daunts you, then you will be happy to know that living trusts can avoid probate. The probate process is usually more expensive and time consuming than having a living trust set up to transfer assets. Moreover, a living trust has many more advantages than skipping probate. An estate-planning attorney can discuss with you the specific advantages that a living trust will bring to your estate plan and can assist you with setting up one to effectively address your needs and the needs of your beneficiaries. Meanwhile, here are 6 general benefits of using a living trust in your estate plan.

BENEFIT #1: A living trust can protect the assets in the trust for certain beneficiaries.

Sometimes, the intended beneficiaries are not capable to handle their full inheritance. For example, many states do not allow minors to own property. And even if a child was old enough to receive property legally, a full inheritance can detriment the child by tempting him to quit school or start an early retirement. Moreover, there are those beneficiaries who will spend all their inheritance at their first opportunity. A living trust can prevent any of these scenarios by allowing you to appoint a trustee to keep your assets for the benefit of your beneficiaries. The trustee would invest the assets in your trust for your beneficiaries’ benefit until they are capable of handling their inheritance.

May 9, 2013

The Future of Estate Planning: The Multigenerational Life Plan

by David M. Goldman

Over the last year I worked with an intern in our office of a Law Review article for Texas Tech University. This article describes problems with current estate planning and takes the premise that most estate planners have become lazy because of advancements in technology. That is, most only ask their clients about issues that their software is capable of addressing. We identify 6 primary areas that are not addressed in most estate plans:

Firearms;
Digital Assets;
Asset Protection;
Life Planning;
Controlling from the Grave; and
Pets

The citation for the article is
David Goldman & Charles Jamison, The Future of Estate Planning: The Multigenerational Life Plan, 5 Est. Plan. & Community Prop. L. J. 1 (2012).
Continue reading

May 9, 2013

3 Important Reasons to Use an Estate Planning Attorney to Create a Durable Power of Attorney

by David M. Goldman

Estate Planning.jpg A Durable Power of Attorney (DPA) allows you, the “principal”, to designate someone, the “agent”, to act on your behalf. Depending on the DPA, your agent will have authority to oversee your financial affairs or your medical treatment. Having a DPA is a good idea, but only if it is done properly. Otherwise, a DPA will probably not serve its intended purpose and it might create additional problems. To avoid this, contact an estate-planning attorney to assist you with this issue. Meanwhile, this blog discusses three important reasons to hire an estate-planning attorney to draft your DPA.

1. A DPA is effective right after it is executed.

Before October 2011, a DPA could remain “dormant” after it was executed. This type of DPA is known as “springing DPA” and is not effective until the occurrence of the event specified in the document, like the principal’s incapacity. However, pursuant to a revision to Florida Statutes section 709.2108, a DPA is ineffective if it provides that it is to become effective at a future date or upon the occurrence of a future event or contingency. Therefore, springing DPAs are no longer recognized by Florida and a DPA is effective the moment that is executed. So if you want a DPA to protect your financial affairs in the event that you become incapacitated, your agent will have authority to oversee your finances as soon as the DPA is created. This can be a problem. Even if your agent is a person that you completely trust, like your spouse, the fact that he or she has authority over your finances can be against your interests. An estate-planning attorney from the Law Office of David M. Goldman PLLC conveniently addresses this issue by offering an escrow service in which you chose the attorney as your agent and instruct him or her what to do in the event that the DPA is used. Meanwhile, the DPA will be kept in a secure place and will not be used unless you instruct the attorney to do so, a court mandates the attorney to do so, or two Affidavits from two different Doctors state that you are incapable of deciding for yourself. This way you can be better assured that your agent will not abuse his or her power over your affairs.

May 7, 2013

6 Quick Questions to Help You Effectively Decide When is a Trust Better than a Will in Florida

by David M. Goldman

A Florida Will is one of the most basic estate-planning documents. A Will allows the grantor to devise his or her property with very limited encumbrances; however, there are issues that are better addressed with other estate-planning documents – like a Trust. If you are debating whether to use a Trust or a Will, then this blog will help you. However, it is wise to seek assistance from an estate-planning attorney before making a decision.

What is a Will?

A Will is a written instrument, signed by the decedent and at least two witnesses in each other presence, that fulfills the requirements of Florida law. A Will names the beneficiaries for the testator’s probate assets. The testator can also designate guardians for minor children and a personal representative to administer the estate. If a Will was validly executed in another state, Florida courts will recognize the document as a Will except in the case of a holographic Will. Holographic Wills are Wills written entirely in the testator’s own handwriting and in most states witness signatures are not required. However, Florida law requires that holographic Wills be witnessed and signed in the same manner as any other Florida Will.

April 19, 2013

There is a Vacancy in My Trust – Appointment of a Successor Trustee in Florida

by David M. Goldman

Every trust needs at least one trustee to administer the trust and to carry on its terms. If a person designated as a trustee ceases to act as one, then a vacancy in the trust occurs and it might need to be filled. Succession of trustees is perhaps one of the most common occurrences in the administration of a trust. A succession of trustee can be done by the terms of the trust, by the beneficiaries, or by appointment of the court. The overriding concept is that if one trustee ceases to act for any reason, the result depends upon the circumstances of each case. This is why it is wise to consult an estate-planning attorney to analyze all the factors affecting your case and assist you with this issue.

1. When does a vacancy occur?

A vacancy in a trusteeship occurs in the following circumstances: